French authorities have conducted their first on-water interception as part of a new policy aimed at stopping small boats transporting migrants to the United Kingdom. The operation took place on Saturday when a suspected "taxi-boat" was boarded by French officers on the Aa canal in Gravelines, located on the Channel coast above Calais.
Images from the aftermath of the operation show French police alongside the inflatable dinghy, which reportedly carried several men believed to be people-smugglers. The inflatable vessel was subsequently towed to the dockside.
This interception marks a significant change in tactics, which was agreed upon in November following increased pressure from the UK government for France to enhance its interventions. Previously, French police interventions were restricted to stopping small boats as they were being prepared for launch on beaches, as intervening at sea was considered too dangerous.
However, people-smuggling gangs adapted by employing "taxi-boats." These boats would enter the water some distance from the shore and then travel along the coast, picking up groups of migrants who would themselves enter the water to board. According to official French documents, this method had proven highly effective, achieving an 81% success rate in 2025.
The new on-water intervention policy was first agreed upon at a summit in the UK in July 2025, involving President Emmanuel Macron and Sir Keir Starmer. Its implementation faced delays due to concerns about the risk to human life and the potential liability of officers if migrants died during an operation. These concerns have now reportedly been addressed.
Under the revised terms of engagement, gendarmes will intervene to stop "taxi-boats" only before they have taken on migrants, not when the vessels are already fully occupied. The procedure used in Saturday's operation aligns with these terms, as police suspected the inflatable, moving down the canal towards the sea, was preparing to pick up migrants, leading to the arrest of the men on board.
The number of migrants reaching the UK from France saw an increase last year, rising from 36,566 in 2024 to 41,472. This figure, however, remained lower than the peak of 45,774 recorded in 2022.
The French maritime prefecture declined to comment on the incident, citing an ongoing judicial investigation concerning the small boat operation.